NEW YORK STATE GIRLS GOLF: WAVERLY FINISHES THIRD IN FIRST-EVER TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS; TOMASSO FINISHES 28TH (2 PHOTOS) (2018-06-03)Valley Sports ReportFARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Waverly moved up a spot Sunday to finish third in the inaugural New York State girls golf team championships here on the Yellow Course at Bethpage State Park.

Waverly, which shot a four-place aggregate score of 356 Saturday, carded a 361 in round two for a two-day total of 717. Section I Carmel won the team title with a 681, while Section VI’s Clarence was second at 705, and Section III’s Fulton-Montgomery was fourth at 721.

“I’d say it was a pretty good weekend,” said Waverly coach Pete Girolamo. “I’m extremely proud of our girls.

“There are more than 2,000 high school girls who golf in New York State, and there are hundreds of teams,” he noted. “For us to be the number-three team in the whole state among all the big schools, and to earn it on the course, and not be ranked, is a fantastic accomplishment.

“And it will never be duplicated because it’s the first time they’ve ever had a team tournament. It’s pretty special for us the place in the top three.

“It’s also kind of cool that’s it’s four cousins who accomplished it,” added Girolamo. “For Alex and Sidney (Tomasso) and Capria and Gianna (Picco) to do this together is pretty neat.”

Alex Tomasso followed up her opening-day round of 85 on Sunday with an 86 for a two-day total of 171 to finish in 28th place in the field of 95 golfers in the individual championship.

Sophomore Gianna Picco shot a 90 for a two-day total of 178 to finish tied for 40th, while senior Capria Picco shot 91 for the second day in a row for a 182 to finished tied for 50th, and freshman Sidney Tomasso shot a 94 for a two-day total of 186 to tie for 57th.

Girolamo notes Waverly was the only Division 2 school in team championship.

“I was a little nervous because I knew how big the other schools were,” said Girolamo. “And, I had already checked out their scores, and I knew we’d have to play well to place.

“In my mind, all four of our girls played better than their stroke average because that is a really difficult golf course compared to what we’ve played,” noted Girolamo. “It has a ton of sand. We tried to work on it during the practice round, but you can’t figure it out in one day.”

Girolamo also credited his team’s mental toughness.

“The girls worked hard,” he said. “They ground it out.

“(Saturday) was brutal, and today was freezing. Saturday was 85 and muggy, and this morning it was 63, although today was kind of in our wheelhouse because we’re use to the cold after this spring,” said Girolamo.

“I was so excited for the girls,” added Girolamo. “It was just really neat to see the kids achieve what they did this weekend. It was a pretty special moment for me.”

The story of the day was Unadilla Valley 7th-grader Bailey Shoemaker, who shot a state-record round of 65, which included seven birdies and no bogeys.

Shoemaker was in sixth place and six shots off the pace heading into Sunday’s final round, but closed the gap to one stroke before Medina freshman Melanie Green birdied the 17th to take a two-stroke lead into her final hole, which she parred.

Round 1 co-leader Kaitlyn Lee, a junior from Scarsdale, shot a 75 to tie for third place with Larchmont sophomore Alice Hodge with a two-day total of 143.

Three-time defending state champ, Auburn senior Lindsay May, shot a 77 Sunday, and finished sixth with a two-day total of 150.

Section 1 won the Sectional competition by 60 strokes over Section VI, while Section III and Section VIII tied for third 205 strokes back, and Section IV was fifth 215 strokes back.

Horseheads’ Emily Cunningham shot a 94 Sunday for a two-day total of 182 to tie Capria Picco for 50th place. O-M’s Gillian Clark shot a 93, and Watkins Glen’s Hanley Elliott shot a 95, leaving them both tied with Sidney Tomasso in 57th place with two-day totals of 186.

Watkins Glen’s Gabby Decker shot matching rounds of 112 and finished with a two-day total of 224.

“It was a pretty good day for Section IV,” said Girolamo, who is also the Section IV girls golf coordinator.

“(Waverly) finished third in the team standings, (Section IV) wasn’t dead last for first time in quite a while, and (Unadilla Valley’s) Bailey Shoemaker set a state record.